Sociologists study folktales because they provide a means of understanding the distinctive values of a culture. Howev...

AndreaK on September 17, 2019

Hi Cjahangiri,

This isn’t one I would diagram. Let’s break it down though with some real-world applications, and see if that helps the paradox make more sense.

Maybe Community A and Community B have a folktale that goes something like, “…One day there was a brave hunter who, against the adds, overcame a magnificent animal.”

Maybe Community A tells this story around a fire with a crowd of people, lots of ceremonial garments and a feast of meat. Maybe they celebrate human dominance through this folktale.

Maybe Community B only recites this folktale when alone or in small intimate groups. Maybe community B is an agrarian economy that sees the animal that was overcome as a symbol for rain during a time of perilous drought. Maybe they pray for good harvest through this folktale.

Does this help reveal how these seemly contradictory statements in the stimulus could both be true?

Answer choice C describes the type of hypothetical scenario described above. We see how the different manners in which Culture A and Culture B applied the same hunter-overcoming-the-strong-animal narrative reveals information about the distinct values of each culture.

Hope this helps, thanks for your question!